REO denies authorising community officers to do registration visits

Region One Regional Executive Officer Nigel Fisher has denied authorising Community Service Officers (CSOs) to conduct house to house visits to advise residents on their registration status.

His denial on Wednesday came in the wake of confirmation by residents that CSOs were visiting their homes with copies of extracts of the current Preliminary List of Electors (PLE) to check and advise them on their registration status.

According to the persons in the region contacted by Stabroek News, the CSOs have within their possession a letter purportedly issued by the Fisher.

He, however, refuted those claims and said he was unaware of any such activity. He further stated that there is no political campaigning on behalf of the ruling People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) and that he will be issuing a press statement on the matter shortly.

On Tuesday, the Guyana Elections Com-mission (Gecom) disclosed that it received reports from the region that persons had been posing as Gecom employees and were visiting homes.

Gecom said that its investigations revealed that the persons engaged in this activity were alleged “Community Support Officers” in Mabaruma and Port Kaituma and that they have in their possession a copy of a letter purportedly written by Fisher authorising their work.

The Commission distanced itself from the activity and emphatically stated that its staff is not engaged in any such activity in Region One or any other region.

Meanwhile, the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) has voiced its concerns over the situation, saying that the CSOs are engaged in illegal campaign activity on behalf of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C).

The party charged in a statement that it is aware that the PPP/C was using “so called” CSOs, who are paid by the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs, to do political work in the region.